Adam Back Proposes Phased Quantum Upgrade for Bitcoin

• Adam Back urges a gradual quantum upgrade path to protect Bitcoin without rushing risky cryptography.
• Bitcoin’s Taproot design already embeds quantum-ready features, countering misconceptions from researchers.
• A phased PQ rollout lets users, exchanges, and custodians adapt safely as quantum risks evolve.

Bitcoin is preparing for potential quantum computing risks, with Blockstream CEO Adam Back advocating a gradual upgrade strategy. He emphasized a phased rollout of post-quantum security, giving users time to migrate safely.

Back also noted that Bitcoin’s Taproot design already includes quantum-ready elements, reducing urgency while allowing careful testing before broader implementation…

In an X thread, Back pointed out that even leading quantum researchers can misunderstand Bitcoin’s design. He referenced a Google paper that misinterpreted Taproot and Schnorr, which he said were “explicitly designed in 2018/19 to be quantum ready with the tapleaf plug-in PQ schemes.”

He added that Tapleaf’s commitment scheme was later formally proven secure against quantum attacks, showing Bitcoin’s built-in resilience.

Back cautioned against rushing new cryptography. “It is extremely dangerous to rush cryptography; most NIST PQ candidates were broken or rejected,” he said. He warned that hasty adoption could put users’ funds at risk.

To avoid this, Bitcoin developers are starting with simple cases, protecting high-value cold storage first, and gradually tackling complex wallets and smart contracts.

Layer-two networks are already testing post-quantum signatures. Blockstream Research rolled out SHRINCS verification on the Liquid Network, letting users secure funds with hash-based signatures without changing consensus rules.

Back noted that Liquid has often tested features before Bitcoin mainnet adoption, including Schnorr, CSV, and SegWit. Using SHRINCS gives Bitcoin-like systems quantum protection now, while leaving advanced smart contracts for later upgrades.

The crypto market so far has reacted to news of quantum-readiness efforts and narratives that have been around it.

According to CoinMarketCap data, Zcash rose more than 4.5% in 24 hours and gained 14% over the week, reflecting strong investor interest. Starknet remained mostly flat, while Qubic showed only minor short-term recovery after a 9% weekly drop. Nervos Network climbed 7% for the week, but Naoris Protocol continued to fall, losing 5.5% in a single day.

Back said taking a phased approach gives exchanges, custodians, and cold storage holders more time to adjust. He added that future post-quantum smart contracts could strengthen both privacy and security. His plan prioritizes caution and careful planning to reduce risk as Bitcoin prepares for potential quantum threats.

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